Coaches come in all forms. Some are the fathers of former players. Others are painful nightmares from the past. Some are inspirational and unforgettable, others are despised and justly malicious.
Judging by the wave of comments I received since starting this weekly writing adventure, many coaches are close to the national treasures.
My email inbox is loaded with stories from people who can’t fully admire their former coaches.
Former Ripley Central School Varsity Baseball and Basketball coach Jeff Buffholtz checked in after reading the Knuckleball column.
“I thought I was sharing a personal story that suggests anything in athletics is possible, and a class that was demonstrated by college baseball coaches,” he began.
Mike Orbinati
“I grew up in the Northeast and played three sports and had a passion for baseball. But there was no baseball program in the Northeast. There was nothing after Little League, but I was hooked on baseball.
“I attended a small college in Tennessee and had a partial basketball scholarship. They had a baseball team and I tried it out, despite never playing after the Little League. All the players were on scholarships, but I made a team because the baseball coach was probably a basketball coach.
“I played sporadically, but not most years, but due to a change in coaching, I tried it out. When the predicted starter was thrown out of school, I created a first day lineup on one base. He was a very good player, but there were some ‘light fingers’.
“Batting on the 9th, I went home and hit a double, which is the beginning of a very good season. I was going to lead the team in all offensive categories. I could see in the scouts, but I had a ‘sprayer arm’, but if I had the gloves left in the rain it would have been rusty. But I was happy to play college baseball and do well.
“I was engaged to my first wife, a southern gal with a wedding in June. I had no money for the ring for her (we didn’t share that story).
Fran Rogel
“A few weeks before graduation, I was called to my coach’s office. To my surprise, he gave me a check of a very good size because I had a budget left and I had felt from the year I had. I bought an engagement ring that afternoon. I don’t know who was happy, my future wife or her mother.
“From there I ended up in Ripley and was lucky enough to have a lot of ‘good kids’ and enjoyed coaching both basketball and baseball.
“As lessons can guess, you will never give up on your dreams, and the world can surprise you with such a good person.”
Thank you, Buck. Good lessons about good coaches. Obviously, one of many there.
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Chip Hussion, a member of Cardinal Mindszenty’s undefeated 1958 football team, has great respect for head coach Mike Orbinati.
He recently provided three stories from his time wearing purple and gold.
This is something Chip had to say, as always, in just a small part of the editing.
“You were asking about interesting memories of me having a couple tied to CMHS sports.
“My third-year coach Orbinati during baseball practice was yelling to do certain things, so as a catcher, he screams, ‘Hasionrun, Russian hmm!”
Then there was a senior year scrimmage against Silver Creek.
It was a friend of Pittsburgh Steelers fullback Fran Rogel and director Orbinati.
Rogel did not miss an eight-season game in Pittsburgh (1950-57). “Hey Didl Didl, Rogel Up the Middle” proved to be a popular cheer. Steelers head coach Walt Keeling used that play to open almost every game.
Anyway, Chip said, “Chief, ‘Jim DePaul’ fights one of Silver Creek’s linemen, and the coach said, Rogel said, “Let them go!”
“It lasted about three minutes with the winner’s chief.”
Finally, let’s go back to the halted restaurant on Central Avenue in Dunkirk in 1957.
Chip said, “Junior year? At a stop? A restaurant on Central Avenue.
“Gene Liveiji, one of the great athletes at CMHS, has experienced some issues from a concussion and I found it interesting to drop a bright cherry bomb into the toilet toilet.
“It blows the toilet off the floor and water gets shot everywhere. Needless to say, Jean was quickly taken into custody as the police aren’t too far away.
“Orbinati had to get off and explain his concussion and bail him out.”
Thank you, tip. Something good.
According to local legend, Orbinati was not the only one who saved the monarch who violated the law. Details, anyone?
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Do your favorite, funny, strange, best or worst memories have memories of refereeing, playing, or observing amateur sports? Please drop the line at mandpp@hotmail.com. Let’s remember.
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Bill Hammond is a former Observer sports editor.
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